Improvement in car-brakes



3 SheetsSheet 1. L. GRIESER.

CAR-BRAKE. 7

Patented. Jan. 11,1876.

J' u llwm lilll'i Inventor:

N. PEIERS, PHOTWLITHOGRAPPQER, WASHINGTON B C H 3 Sheets-Sheet 2. emssnn.

GAR'BRAKE. I I

' Patented. J-an.11=,1876.

iz f2;

N.PETERS. FHOTO-LITHOGRAPHER, WASHINGTON, D. C.

3 Sheets-Sheeb 3.

human. CAR'BRAKE.

- Patented Jan. 11

NJ'ETERS, PHOTO-LITNOGRAPHER. WASHINGTON 0 C.

UNITED STAT S- PA ENT QFFIGE.

LOUIS GRIESER, 0F nUsHFonm INNEsorA.

lM PR OVEMENT IN CAR-BRAKES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 171,933, dated January 11,1 87 6; application filed June 18, 1875.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LOUIS GRIESER, of

Rushford, in the county of Fillmore and State of Minnesota, have invented certainnew and useful'Improvements in Railway-Gar Brakes;

' specification:

This invention relates to that class of carbrakes that are operated by the revolution of the axles of the car-trucks; and it consists, first,-in the construction and combination of devices whereby the brakes are operated by the revolutions of the axle of a railway-car truck, in such a manner that when the brakes have once been set the revolutions of the axle shall have no-more effect, or cause any further strain upon,the chain which connects the brakes with their operating devices; secondly, in the combination and arrangement of devices whereby the braking up or off, either of the whole train, or of any one car therein, is greatly accelerated and made absolutely certain, without regard to the direction in which the trainis moving; thirdly, in the combination and arrangement of devices whereby the operating-lever on the engine, or on any one car in the train, when moved so as to set the brakes, will take up, successively, the slack of coupling chains between the cars, and thereby effect a successive and rapid setting of all the brakes throughout the entire train. from the first car to the last; fourthly, in the construction and arrangement of devices whereby the train will be braked up automatically when the Wheels of any one car run over or encounter an obstruction, such as a stone, a broken rail, &c., or when the wheels of anyone car break down or run oft'the track.

On the three sheets of drawing hereunto annexed I have represented the application of the various features of my invention, as above set forth, to an ordinary passenger railwaycar; and -I shall now proceed to describe the same, similar letters of --reference indicating corresponding. parts in all the figures;

' Figure 1 represents a bottom planof a railway-car truck. Fig. 2 represents a side elevation of one of the trucks of a railway-car. Fig. 3 represents a front elevation "of Fig. 2, the wheels X and axle B having been removed. Fig. 4 represents a vertical section of the brake setting and releasing devices, which are secured to the truck. Fig. 5 is a top view of Fig. 4, and Figs. 6, 7, 8, 9, 10,11, and 12 represent details of parts, as hereinafter more fully described. 4

A represents the transom or beam ofa railway-car truck, to the side of which, nearest I the axle B, is firmly affixed a strong iron frame, N. Verticallywithin this frame is pivoted the segmental rack F, which connects by chain M, secured at s, withthe brakes. D

Y is a lever, pivoted at d to the arm P, which projects froin N, and pivoted at b to the-hook E. G isa hook or dog, pivoted at e in the lower part of frame N, and actuated by a spring,-h,

, pressing upon its rear end, back of the pivoting-point e. H is a vertical rod, which slides up or down in guides or bearings on one side of frame N. This rod has a hole or mortise, a,

into which is pivoted one end of the double cross-lever, H, which is pivoted on the'same axle b upon which the segmental rack F is pivoted, and whose other end is pivoted at f to the rod H, as shown in Fig. 4. The rod H, Fig. 6, has two projecting arms or brack- ,ets, t i, and a right-angled hook, it. When H is raised by depressing H, i engages with the under side of the hook E, and iwith the under side of the dog G, the effect of which is to release both from their hold upon F. At

the same time 70 will engage with the corresponding slot or recess 1, in the sliding bar The bar 0 has coiled upon it the spring d, on the inside of frame N. The action of this spring is to force 0 out toward the eccentric (3, which is placed upon the axle B whenever k is released from its hold on 0 at l by '(18- pressing H. R is a vertical bolt, whichworks in a bearing at y, and through the eye or guide in the projecting arm or, inside of frame N, and has coiled upon its lower part a spring,"- 2,

which keeps its lowermost point above the bar 0 when the machine is at rest 5 but-'whenF revolves,the projecting lip willfstri'ke 'p on the head of p R, thereby forcing thepointofirthe bQLtTjiIltO the recess iii-0, Fig.;j 7, so that O'is retainedina position that brings the lever D and plate V out of reach of the play of the revolving eccentric C. When pressure uponthe head of R is released,,the spring 2 will lift it automatically out of, theirecess pill O. :3 a a V is a steel plate, adjustably secured to the lower part of lever D, fronting axle B and ec centric G, by bolts and set-screws Wyor by" any other suitable means that will admit of the adjustment of the plate V in conformity to theiuirelative positions, of axleiBaandttrau-i som A,pwhich is difi'erent in different cars. By this arrangement the operating devices hereinbefore described may be used, of the same, s size, upon any car or class of cars, by simply adjustiugtthe platelV to a, meet: thetplay oftheeccentric O in all cases i i It; will he perceived that when is at rest-f-that is, when "rod hi" is depressed and H1 raised-the plate V,.lev,er "D, and a bar 0 are kept outof reach of the revolving eccentricyby the right-angled hook is on H, and also that the pawlE and dogGdonotengage with; the iratchets .on; the segmentalrack F; but when, in braking up theicaryfldisdepressednor isiintheposition shownin Fig.4, itshold uponO is released, and the spring d willyforce the plateV against thefeccentric, while at the same i time the pawl E falls into the ratchets ind, andvthe dog-1G, actuatedbyn springJi, likewise; engages with the, lower notchesin Thel revolution's of 0 cause a 1 reciprocating motion of lever l), which, being communicated to the pawl-hook E,1operates F andtightens the chain M, which issecured;

at s,pa-nd, as F revolves, rests upon; the projecting flanget, so; as to be kept always in proper linewith top oftransom A., By the ti methe chain has been sufllciently, tightened, and the brakes properly set, the pawl E has reached the last notch in F, and the lip S has reachedR, whichitdepresses. into the recess g in,0;, and .the machine is at rest,;notwithstanding further revolutions of the axle, with its eccentric, with the brakes set. To let off the brakes, H is depressed and H raised, thereby reversing the. operation. The :hold

uponF being released, it flies back, loosens the chain M, and the brakes are off.

; The rods H and H are operated in the fol lowing manner; A circular plate or disk, K, is

piyoted, atn, horizontally within a recess made on top of the frame N for the purpose. Fig. Srepresents a bottom view, and Fig. 9 a side elevation, of this plate. It has a circumfera ential broken flange, la, beveled so as to engage with the beveledtops of the rodsH and H, one offiwhich is always covered, in its depressed it position, by one of the flanges k on:

K.1 When H" is depressed by revolving the;

plate Kround {its pivot n, H is released, and viceyersa. a

K'is operated by a long double-leven L, placed ,diagonally acrossthe bottom of the,

car and secured to K at a the pivptingq-point our the machine 'Aibolt U, shown in',cross;section in liigr 11; and (a front elevation of lwhich, is; sne h in Fig. 10, projects vertically abwnward mm plate K, to which it is firmly secured, so as to partly rotate with it. This bolt, when the machine is at rest, presents the side 1 parallel to the upwardvprojecting flan geor oli'set T on F, but when K, and with it U, is turned, in

settingthe brakes, the beveled side 2 is presented obliquely to the front part of flange T,

which,,in advancing as the segmental rack F revolves, presses upon it in passing, thereby partlyturning it and theplateK and lever L. Secured to lever L, on each side, are short chains I, which connect with slender rodsI, thatslide in bearings fastened to the bottom of the car, two on each side, in opposite directions, and reach till a near: the respective ends of the l car, a where they connect -xwith ishort chains I, there being onerod, with its chain on eachside of each draw-head. IThechains IM are SUlfiGlBlllllYlOll-g,;$0 that when the cars are coupled andlthe chains; 1' of i one car hooked onto those of the nextulcar, they will @hang will-permit. Other chains pass from 1 the re spective endsof each :rod 1'. up to a lever on Windlass placedon the platforms of thecars,w

so that the rods placed undereach car maybe operated from either of its platforms inithe usual, manner.; When, therefore, the operati ing lever or Windlass onthe IOQOHlOblVByOBOll any one car in a the train, is; operated byflthe engineer or brakesman, theibreaking devices of the entire train will respond,fthrough=the connecting-chains Ii and rods 1". Forming stance, when the brakesman operates the lever: or Windlass on the. first car in the train (from either platform) with a desire to brake up the entire train, the double lever Ljot' i that car is. moved so as to cause the partial rotationuof the plate Kiu such a manner that; its flanges is will release their holdupontrod H .but

engage with anddepressi H. l The braking de- L vices of that carare accordinglyput into op-i eration, in the manner hereinbefore described, Another turn will still further move the':lever L, (the rod B being constantly keptin its de pressed position by thecircumferential.flange f of the plate K,) and tighten the chainbetween first and second car.

,the brakes set.

lever or windlass,iall the levers L iarermovled The f next; turn pulls upon lever L of second car; and brings tits, braking device in operation, tightening at the same time the chain between thesecond and third cars, and so on through the entire train, at until all the levers L have been operated and To, let off the brakes thelchain (has other, side of thedrawt-head is operated by its is fastened to the plate K and lever L at m, and which, when the brakes have been set and the machine is again at rest, will present the side 3 (see Figs. 10 and 11) obliquely to the back part of the upward-projecting flange or offset T on F, so that when F flies back the back part of T will, in passing, press upon side 3 of bolt U, so as to partly turn or rotate the bolt, and with it plate K and lever L. It

I will thus be seen that the bolt U, by being moved in either direction flange T, will partly rotate the lever L and operate the chains I, by which the braking mechanism upon the next car is brought into or out of action.

Pivoted in bearings 7 7, fastened into and projecting downward from the bottom of the transom A, (see Fig. 3,) there are two levers, 5 5, that reach to opposite ends'of the transom in front of the car-wheels, where they are curved downward, so as to reach within a few inches of the track. To this lower end of each lever is secured a bevel-block, 6, (see Fig. 2,) which may be of wood, and fastened with a bolt through each bar, and so adjusted as to be carried about two and a half to three inches above the rails. No. 8 represents a bracket, having a small roller on. top, and firmly secured to the side pf the transom in such a position that the roller is on a level with the double lever L on the truck. A chain, 9, is fastened to L at 9', (one on each side,) and passes over the jroller, and down-- ward, whereit branches off into two chains, that connect with the respective inward ends of bars or levers 5 5. By this arrangement, when the outward end of either of the levers 5, carrying the block 6, is raised by coming in contact with an obstruction, or with the road-bed, when a wheel or axle breaks down, it pulls down on chain 9, and moves the lever L, so as to put the braking device in instant operation, and the disabled car is braked up automatically, andapplying at the same time all the brakes on the entire train by the means hereinbefore described, so that when any one car becomes disabled or runs off the track, the entire train, without regard to the number of cars, will be braked up automati cally.

The several advantages of my improved car-brake, hereinbefore described, are so obvious as not to require to be pointed out or explained in detail; any one at all acquainted with the present state of the art to which my invention relates will see at a glance its numerous and important advantages, not only over the common style of brakes, but over air and steam brakes, which are uncertain of of operation, often diflicult to apply properly and efficiently, and always liable to derangement from leakage of the reservoirs and connecting-tubes.

Having thus described my invention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States 1. The combination, of reciprocating lever D, with hook or pawl E and-sliding bar 0, substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore set forth.

2. The combination of reciprocating lever D, sliding bar 0, having spring at and rod H, substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore setforth.

3. The combination of hook or pawl E, segmental rack F, dog G, and rod H, substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore set forth.

4. The combination of segmental rack F, having lip S, with bolt R and sliding bar 0, substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore set forth.

5. The combination of rod H", double lever H, and rod H, substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore set forth.

6. The combination of adjustableg'plate V, with reciprocating lever D, substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore set forth.

7. The segmental rack F, having lip S and flanges t T, substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore set forth.

8. The combination of the rods H H, plate K, and double lever L,-substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore set forth.

9. The combination of the segmental rack F, bolt U, plate K, and lever L, substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore set forth.

10. The combination of levers 5 5, carrying bars or blocks 6 6, with chain 9 and lever L, substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereunto affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

LOUIS GRIESER. Witnesses:

CHARLES D. SHERWOOD, OHAUNcE'Y P. RICHARDSON. 

